Taste: There is still caramel and chocolate in the taste, but it is very dried out and toasted. Same as the aroma, it is very earthy and woody, with some spicy bitterness on the finish. I guess it is well balanced between the malts and hops, but there is very little sweetness.

Feel: Moderate carbonation, medium body, very dry finish.

Overall: Not a style I have had a lot of, but definitely the best I have had. Much more robust than something like Alaskan Amber.

Based on the two Mankato beers I have had so far, I am very impressed. Interesting to see where they go next - will they remain all German?

Appearance: Pours a deep mahogany amber orange with a lot of rising bubbles. Huge five finger off white head with very good retention. Leaves a lot of lacing around the glass.

Smell: A malt driven and fairly earthy aroma. Toasted malts with good hints of biscuit, caramel, toffee, toasted bread, and yeast. Subtle hints of chocolate and nuts as well as a slight hint of dark fruits. Some earthy and grassy hops add some spicy bitterness. A very bready smell.

Taste: Like the smell indicates, a good mix of bready malt flavors backed by some earthy bitterness. Toasted malts with a taste of bready biscuit, toast, caramel, toffee, yeast, and nuts. Light taste of chocolate roast and a little dark fruit. Solid presence of earthy hops and grass that add some spice. A very bready and malty taste but its more of a dry bread taste than sweet. Solid.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation. Creamy and smooth. Has a very drying finish.

Picked up a single at Four Firkins. Ah, what a nice surprise, a very tasty sticke from Mankato. This mahogany beer had a milder caramel malt and light spice aroma, but really opened up in the flavor. It was a mix of caramel malt and mild cherry and berry esters, with a dry toasty edge, and then the herbal hop bite. It's on the cleaner side of the style, but a very tasty example. Check this beer out.

Pours a clear brown color with an attractive two finger head that had good retention before settling to a thick cap. Quite a bit of sticky lacing is left down the glass. Aroma is earthy and grassy from the hops. Also some caramel and toast. This is definately more bitter than other altbiers. Hops dominate the front end with the earthy bitterness. Toasted and caramel malt comes in near the finish. Just the slightest bit of sweetness in the finish. Just a bit lighter than medium bodied with nice, lively carbonation.

Different from any other altbier I have had before with its hop presence. Another fine brew from Mankato.

Thanks to cpolking for the hookup with this beer. Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a dark brown color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is malty, some caramel. Taste is malts up front, a bit of nuts, hop bitterness present at the finish. Feels full bodied in the mouth and overall is an enjoyable beer.

This beer pours a clear ruby color. The head is one inch of off white foam that recedes slowly into a nice cap of lacing. The aroma is of toast, caramel, and a spicy, earthy hoppiness. The taste is maltier than the aroma with lot of caramel, toast, and molasses. There is a slight earthiness in the finish, and a nice overall dryness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a smooth texture, and moderate carbonation. Overall, this is a nice beer that I will surely drink again.

Delicious sticke altbier from the new brewery in south MN. Nice mahogany color, sweet dark fruits combined with noble hop spice and earth on the nose. Taste is sweet, dark fruity, earthy, and spicy. Mouthfeel is full and rich. Overall, a nice rich German ale.